West Indies v India 2011 - Viv Richards blames off-field disputes for declining form
Former West Indian skipper, Vivian Richards, has termed West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)’s internal issues as the prime reason behind the worsening condition of national cricket.
The WICB is currently engaged in a severe dispute with the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) over the exclusion of the blistering opener, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/CH-Gayle-c1221, from the side.
The recent meeting between the two parties ended without any result and consequently, Gayle is likely to miss the upcoming Test series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750.
The conflict started when the board overlooked Gayle for the Test and One Day International (ODI) series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755, saying that the Jamaican all-rounder preferred cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) over national duties.
On the other hand, Gayle, in an interview to a local Radio station, denied WICB’s allegations and claimed that he was deliberately ignored.
Gayle’s issue is not the first case of this nature between the board and the national players. In 2009, most of the senior players, including, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 due to a disagreement with the WICB over their contract.
Deploring the current situation of the national cricket, Richards described that the off-field disputes have been affecting the performance of the players on the ground and suggested that the concerned parties should sort things out as early as possible.
"The players who are involved, such as the administrators and WIPA, must come to a common consensus if they intend to have something sold in the future to represent, because at present things are going downhill", said Richards.
The legendary all-rounder, who has served West Indies in 121 Tests and 187 ODIs, explained that cricket is a source of harmony among Caribbean people, therefore, the conflicts should be resolved on an urgent basis.
"When you have two parties involved, like WIPA and the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 Cricket Board, there are definitely some issues and some personalities involved. They have to put away all the personal stuff and realise that there is one common cause", added the great West Indian batsman.
Meanwhile, Richards predicted that if the both parties fail to bring matters back to normal, it will be extremely dangerous for national cricket.
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